I’m excited for the day our creativity is benefited by automated technology, more so than it is today.

If creativity is our ability to enact change driven by new and valuable ideas, then the addition of technology for determining and drawing-out those ideas is something modern machines are certainly capable of doing.

We already have machines which can “learn” how to write, help us drive, identify when to recommend something to buy for potential customers, or design programs on how to distribute complex arrays of data to their human counterparts.

What’s to stop a form of lightweight artificial intelligence from learning what makes an idea good or valuable? What’s to prevent those of us walking around every day with a supercomputer in our pocket from utilizing the technology as a means of boosting our creative potential?

Of course many of us are already doing exactly that: relying on the Internet and the ability to uncover new ideas or information with a quick search as a way of boosting our own ideation process. Being exposed to the randomness of YouTube’s trending videos, Tumblr’s feed, or the Facebook News Feed, certainly helps in the exposure of interesting—and sometimes inspirational—information. But what about software that not only serves up things it thinks we’ll be interested in, but which also helps us think creatively in the first place?

I think this type of technology is on the verge of becoming mainstream. The next event we, as creatives, will be undoubtedly excited about is when the tools we use to do our work enable us to think even more creatively than they do today.

Imagine a tool which can predict your intent, connect you instantly with hundreds of thousands of potential ideas, and work alongside you to spur your creativity. Sure, at some point technology may replace all of the creative process entirely—proposing ideas and solutions for us rather than working with us to develop them—but in the interim we can expect software and technology to work with us in the process.

In-fact: I’m writing this right now on an app that does that. It’s a project I’ve been working on for the last two years, and I’m excited to share it with you in a few weeks time.

The app essentially uses lightweight artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable writers to think more critically and write more creatively. It’s an AI-assisted writing app for bloggers, journalists, students or teachers, and anyone who wants to build a creative writing habit. It’s truly amazing, and I can’t wait to show it to you. It’s just the begining, I believe, of a future where we’re assisted by artificial intelligence not merely in physical labor or cataloging our music, but in conducting and orchestrating the creative process.

The future of software for creatives is going to be remarkably helpful and inspirational. Soon we’ll have tools which will enable us to generate, and act upon, new ideas at the touch of a button.